NPR show in plea for GOP guests

NPR’s popular “Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me” trivia show gets its fair share of big name political guests (Bill Clinton called in once, for example), but host Peter Sagal knows that there’s a specific shortage he’d like to fill: Republicans.

Asked by Vulture, “Is there a dream guest for you? Someone you’ve been trying to get that you think you never will?” Sagal responded, “I would love to get more Republicans on the show.”

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“One of the things I really envy about Jon Stewart is how many times he’s able to get Republicans on his show. And that’s to his credit: He’s seen as somebody who will talk fairly with everyone, who’s interested in everyone. And I am, too! But because we’re NPR, and we have that reputation — which I think is unfair, both specifically to us and nationwide — and because it’s silly, I think a lot Republican people [won’t come on]. I’ve been really eager to get a major Republican politician on the show, but circumstances are such that it’s getting harder and harder to do that these days.”

“I would love it — I would love it — if John Boehner would come on our show and be charming and funny in a way that we haven’t seen. I would love that. If he told some jokes about his skin color, and people understood that he could do self-deprecation, and then went on his way and thought, That was a good experience. I was able to show a side of myself I don’t normally do. That would be awesome! That would be awesome for the country. But the person we really want on the show, who we’ll never get, is George W. Bush.”